Liu Kun (Jin dynasty)

Liu Kun's family was from Weichang County, Zhongshan and were said to be the descendants of Liu Sheng, the Prince of Zhongshan and the elder brother of Emperor Wu of Han[1]. Both his father Liu Fan and grandfather Liu Mai were government officials. He received his first position at the age of 26 (by East Asian age reckoning) and was appointed a succession of posts while working in Luoyang. In his youth, he and his brother Liu Yu achieved celebrity statuses, earning the epithet junlang (儁朗), which meant "outstanding and bright". As the two brothers were very talented in writing, they became a part of the "Twenty-Four Companions (二十四友)", a literary group consisting of writers closely associated with Jia Nanfeng's brother, Jia Mi between 291 and 300[2]. Unfortunately, none of Liu Kun's works during his time with the group survived.

Liu Kun's sister was married to Sima Lun's son. When Sima Lun took over the government as regent to Emperor Hui of Jin in 300, his family members were granted important offices[3]. The following year, Sima Lun usurped the throne, and a coalition formed by Sima Ying, Sima Yong and Sima Jiong was formed to overthrow Lun and restore Emperor Hui. Liu Kun was placed in command of an army to repel Sima Ying at Huangqiao but he and his allies were decisively defeated and forced to retreat[4]. After the fall of Sima Lun and the emperor's restoration the same year, the new regent Sima Jiong executed many of Lun's subordinates and officials. However, as he was impressed with Liu Kun and his family's talents, he pardoned them and appointed them offices in his government. In the wake of Sima Jiong's death to Sima Ai in 303, Liu Kun, Liu Yu and Liu Fan went to serve with the Prince of Fanyang, Sima Xiao.

In 304, Sima Xiao entered a coalition led by Sima Yue against Sima Ying and Sima Yong and appointed Liu Kun as his Marshal. The Inspector of Yu Province, Liu Qiao, rebelled against Sima Yue and sided himself with Sima Yong. Liu Qiao sent a letter to the court accusing Liu Kun and his brother of crimes and stating his intention to attack Sima Xiao at Xuchang. As Xuchang was lightly defended, Liu Qiao easily captured the city. Liu Kun was supposed to lead reinforcements to relief the city but could not make it in time. Sima Xiao, Liu Kun and Liu Yu retreated to Ji Province, where Liu Kun managed to convince the inspector of the region, Wen Xian to give his post to Sima Xiao.

With a new province in hand, Sima Xiao sent Liu Kun to You Province to request assistance from the warlord Wang Jun. Wang Jun granted him his Xianbei and Wuhuan cavalries and with them, Liu Kun won a series of battles against Sima Yong's generals. Wang Jun and Liu Kun first attacked and killed Wang Chen at Heshang. Following their triumph, Liu Kun returned to Sima Xiao and together they defeated Shi Chao at Xinyang and Sima Mao at Lingqiu. Sima Mao's defeat caused Liu Qiao to retreat south to which Liu Kun pursued and defeated him at Kaocheng. Finally, in 306, Liu Kun decisively defeated Liu Qiao at Xiao and forced him to flee to Nanyang, thus allowing Sima Xiao to reclaim Xuchang[5].

The destruction of Liu Qiao's forces prompted Sima Yong to sue for peace with Sima Yue. He assassinated his Grand Commander, Zhang Fang and sent his head as a peace offering to Sima Yue. Sima Yue rejected his call for peace and continued the war. Liu Kun would use Zhang Fang's head to incite the surrender of Lü Lang and Sima Yong's other generals sent to capture Xingyang in 306[6].

As the war neared its end, Liu Kun, at the advice of his brother Liu Yu, was appointed Inspector of Bing Province by Sima Yue in 306 to watch over the northern borders[7]. At the time, Bing Province was ravaged with famine and crop failures along with constant raids by the bandits and barbarians. When the former inspector, Sima Teng, left for his new post in Ye, the bandits and barbarians took advantage of the lack of authority and controlled the roads. Liu Kun was forced to fight his way to his headquarters at Jincheng. When he reached Jincheng in 307, he found that the ministries and countrysides had been destroyed. Liu Kun restored order in the province and within a year, Bing recovered from its losses[8].

Amidst the War of the Eight Princes, the Xiongnu noble, Liu Yuan, took advantage of the chaos to form his own state of Han (renamed Zhao in 317) in 304. In 307, he sent his general Liu Jing to invade Bing Province but Liu Kun defeated him at Banqiao[9]. The next year in 308, Liu Yuan invaded Bing again, this time sending Liu Cong, Wang Mi and Shi Le to capture Huguan County. Liu Kun ordered his generals Huang Su and Han Shu to defend Huguan but they were both killed and defeated by the Han forces. The Administrator of Shangdang, Pang Chun, surrendered the county to Han. Soon after, Liu Kun campaigned against Liu Hu, the head of the Tiefu Xiongnu clan, and the Xianbei Bai tribe, who both had rebelled against Jin and aligned with Han.

The following year in 310, Liu Kun requested the aid of the Xianbei Tuoba tribe in his campaign against Liu Hu. After sending his son Liu Zun as hostage, the chieftain, Tuoba Yilu, agreed to help and sent his nephew, Tuoba Yulü, to assist Liu Kun. Together, they routed Liu Hu and his Xianbei allies. Following their victory, Liu Kun formed a close and brotherly bond with Tuoba Yilu. To reward Yilu for his assistance, Liu Kun sent a petition requesting that he be appointed Grand Chanyu and receive Dai Commandery as a fief[10]. However, this angered Liu Kun's colleague and Inspector of You Province, Wang Jun, as Dai Commandery was a part of his territory. Wang Jun sent troops to attack Yilu but the latter managed to repel the assault. The event led to a grudge between Liu Kun and Wang Jun and their rift allowed Han to divide and conquer them later. Liu Kun sent a letter to Sima Yue persuading him to campaign together against Liu Cong and Shi Le. Sima Yue refused, as he was suspicious of his generals Gou Xi and Feng Song who he believed may rebel in his absence[11].

In 311, Liu Kun found Shi Le's mother Lady Wang and distant nephew Shi Hu in his territory. He sent them to Shi Le along with a messenger to get Shi Le to side with Jin. Shi Le declined his offer, but still received his family members and gifted Liu Kun with treasures and horses[12]. The same year, Liu Kun came into conflict with Wang Jun again. As Bing Province's population dwindled, Liu Kun ordered his kinsman Liu Xi to gather people living in the commanderies of Dai, Shanggu and Guangning despite them belonging to Wang Jun. When Wang Jun discovered the intrusion, he furiously sent his generals to attack Liu Xi and Liu Xi was killed in battle. In conjunction with gathering men from Wang Jun's territory, Liu Kun also requested soldiers from his ally Tuoba Yilu. Yilu permitted it and sent his son Tuoba Liuxiu to help him. However, Liuxiu entered a disagreement with Liu Kun's general, Xing Yan and this led to Xing Yan rebelling and surrendering Xinxing Commandery to Han[13].

The next year in 312, Liu Kun appointed a man named Xu Run as Prefect of Jinyang for his talent in music. Xu Ran, however, was a corrupted and cruel man, and Liu Kun's Army Protector, Linghu Sheng, urged Liu Kun to kill Xu Ran but he refused. Hearing this, Xu Ran slandered Linghu Sheng on multiple occasions before finally convincing Liu Kun to execute Linghu Sheng[14]. Linghu Sheng's son, Linghu Ni, fled to Han, where he revealed to Liu Cong (now emperor of Han) of Liu Kun's current situation. Liu Cong sent Liu Yao and Liu Can with Linghu Ni as a guide to invade Bing Province. Liu Kun sent Hao Shen and Zhang Qiao to fight the Han army while he gathers troops from Changshan and Zhongshan. Before Liu Kun could return, Hao Shen and Zhang Qiao were defeated and killed, and as Liu Kun's capital, Jinyang, was poorly defended, the Han forces laid siege on the city before receiving its surrender. Liu Kun tried to rescue the city but was unable to and fled back to Changshan[15]. Liu Kun's parents were killed by Linghu Ni whilst trying to flee with him. With the assistance of Tuoba Yilu, Liu Kun managed to reclaim Jincheng but not before Liu Yao pillaged the city. Liu Kun gathered his scattered forces and moved to his new capital in Yangqu.

In 313, Liu Kun and Tuoba Yilu attempted to capture Xiping but upon hearing about the Han troop's movement, decided to withdraw. The following year in 314, Liu Kun received hostages and a letter from Shi Le, who seemingly appeared as if he wished to submit to Liu Kun and asked his permission to invade their rival Wang Jun in You Province. Liu Kun truly believed that Shi Le had become weak through the letter and allowed him but after Shi Le executed Wang Jun the same year, he began to realize that Shi Le had tricked him. Furthermore, Tuoba Yilu suffered a setback as he was forced to purge thousands of families living in his fief for wanting to defect to Shi Le[16].

Tuoba Yilu was assassinated by his son Tuoba Liuxiu in 316. This led to a succession crisis between Liuxiu and Tuoba Pugen which threw the state of Dai into chaos. Tuoba Yilu's generals, Ji Dan and Wei Xiong, decided to leave for Liu Kun together with Liu Zun as well as thousands of families and livestock. Liu Kun was delighted with his new fortunes, and his troops' morale rose. However, not long after, Shi Le besieged the Administrator of Leping, Han Ju at Tiancheng. Han Ju asked Liu Kun for help to which he complied. Ji Dan and Wei Xiong remonstrated him, saying that the new troops that they had brought were not willing to serve Liu Kun yet. Nonetheless, Liu Kun brought out his whole army to oppose Shi Le and ordered Ji Dan to lead them against him[17]. Shi Le routed Ji Dan, and Ji Dan and Wei Xiong both fled back to Dai Commandery. With no reinforcements, Han Ju abandoned the city and the city was captured by Han. As Liu Kun's army was on the brink of collapse, Liu Kun's Chief Clerk, Li Hong, surrendered Bing Province to Shi Le[18].

After the loss of Bing Province, Liu Kun was left with nothing and nowhere to go. Upon learning this, the new Inspector of You Province and a clansman of the Duan tribe, Duan Pidi, sent a letter to Liu Kun inviting him to his headquarters in Jicheng. Liu Kun met him, and the two men started a mutual relationship, even arranging a marriage between their relatives[19]. In 317, both men swore an oath with each other and sent a joint petition to Sima Rui in Jiankang insisting he claim the imperial title. Liu Kun's envoy was Wen Jiao, whose aunt was married to Liu Kun. This Wen Jiao would eventually serve the Eastern Jin Dynasty where he played crucial roles in putting down the rebellions of Wang Dun and Su Jun. The same year, both men planned an attack against Shi Le with Duan Pidi's brothers, but the plan was axed as his brothers refused to take orders from him.

Despite his newfound ally and base, Liu Kun would soon meet his end at the hands of Duan Pidi. In 318, Duan Pidi's brother and chieftain of the Duan, Duan Jilujuan passed away. His cousin Duan Mopei took advantage of his death to usurp the tribe's power. After killing his uncle and cousin's successor, Duan Shefuchen, Duan Mopei attacked Duan Pidi who was travelling to attend the funeral, forcing him to retreat. In the assault, Liu Kun's eldest son, Liu Qun was captured by Duan Mopei[20]. Duan Mopei treated him with respect and even convinced him to write a letter to his father inviting him over to his side. The letter, however, was intercepted by Duan Pidi's scouts.

Duan Pidi presented the letter to Liu Kun, who at the time had not known of the events that happened. Liu Kun assured him that he would not betray him, even if the letter was indeed from his son. Duan Pidi initially let him off but his younger brother, Duan Shujun, told him: "We are tribesmen, after all, and anyone who can retain the loyalty of the Jin people will fear our own forces. Now there is this strife within our family, splitting apart the flesh and the bones, and Liu Kun must have planned for this day all along. If you allow Liu Kun to rise, it will mean the end of all our clan." Duan Pidi heeded his advice and arrested Liu Kun. Liu Kun's other son, Liu Zun, gave fight and defended his camp but was defeated[21]. On the 22nd of June, Duan Pidi had Liu Kun strangled along with four of his sons and nephews.

Some of Liu Kun's followers fled to Duan Mopei, where they acclaimed Liu Qun as their leader while others went to serve with Shi Le. Because he killed Liu Kun and broke his oath, Duan Pidi lost the trust of both the Han Chinese and tribal people. Although Sima Rui permitted no one to hold mourning for him to ensure Duan Pidi's allegiance to Jin, both Wen Jiao and Duan Mopei petitioned that Liu Kun be honored posthumously as he had been a loyal Jin subject. Some years later, Liu Kun was posthumously appointed as Grand Commandant and Palace Attendant and given the posthumous name of "Min (愍)" or "the Lamented"[22].

Although Liu Kun only has three surviving poems, he was famous for his works as a poet, his most known being the "Song of Fufeng (扶風歌)". The poem is written during Liu Kun's trip from Luoyang to Jinyang between 306 and 307 and tells his reluctance in leaving the capital. The poem is unique for its time as it contains elements of poems from the Jian'an and early Cao Wei period. His other two poems are from two letters he exchanged with his wife's nephew, Lu Chen between 317 and 318. They are known as "Poem for Lu Chen (贈盧諶詩)" and "Replying to Lu Chen (答盧諶詩)"[23]. His poems were compiled in a Liang Dynasty catalog as the "Liu Kun Ji (劉琨集)".

During his time as Registrar in Sizhou in the 290s, Liu Kun befriended a colleague named Zu Ti, who would later become one of Western Jin's most famous general. When they were sleeping in the same bed one night, they heard a rooster's crow at midnight. As this was a bad omen, Zu Ti kicked Liu Kun awake, telling him "This is no evil sound!" The two men got up and performed a sword dance. This event inspired the phrase "rising at cockcrow to begin action (聞雞起舞)"[24].

Another anecdote tells of how Liu Kun drove back a Xiongnu army by playing the nomad flute. His headquarters in Jinyang was constantly besieged by the Xiongnu. In one of these sieges, Liu Kun took advantage of the moonlight to climb a tall building, where he began to whistle cleanly. This caught the attention of the invaders, who went heart-sore and made long sighs because of Liu Kun's whistling. Liu Kun then began playing the nomad flute with his men. The songs that Liu Kun played reminded the barbarians of their homelands and how much they miss it. Towards dawn, Liu Kun played the flute again, this time convincing the invaders to leave and abandon the siege. The historicity of this, however, is questionable[25].

• Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu)
• Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian